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Exhibition/event has ended.

Progettazione: From Italy to Japan, Humble Creativity for Cultivating our Tomorrows

Tokyo Midtown Design Hub

Finished

Artists

Kosei Shirotani, Koji Takahashi, Yuji Koie, Akira Koie, Kazuya Tanimoto, Toshiro Watanabe et al.

"Progettazione" (Italian for "design") is a matured design philosophy and methodology that emerged in Italy after World War II when the English term "Design" was not yet widely used. Unlike design aimed solely at pursuing corporate profit in consumerist societies, progettazione was imbued with ethics focusing on socially oriented creativity and education for the general public. This two-part exhibition delves into the essence of progettazione, unraveling the concept of "modest creativity," through the work and life of Kosei Shirotani, who faithfully transplanted the teachings he directly learned from progettazione masters such as Achille Castiglioni and Enzo Mari in 1990s Italy to his hometown of Obama Town, Nagasaki Prefecture.

In the second part, attention is drawn to the activities of four groups in Aichi Prefecture's Tokoname City, Nara Prefecture's Ikoma City, Okunoto in Ishikawa Prefecture, and Fukui City in Fukui Prefecture, where creativity is manifested focusing on humans and nature living in the local region. Through their activities, which share essential similarities with progettazione across time and place, we contemplate the nature of creativity demanded in the era we live in.

This exhibition is a continuation of the talk "Cultivating. The work of designer Kosei Jyoya" held over two days at Axis Gallery in March 2022. It has been made possible through the cooperation of many individuals and is an exhibition where visitors can experience tangible design. We sincerely hope you will visit the venue.

[Events]
1. "Housing and Living for the Future - After the Noto Peninsula Earthquake"
Date: April 7th [Sunday] 14:00-15:30
Lecturers: Yuki Hagi, Kiichiro Hagino
Participation Fee: ¥1,000
Capacity: 30 people

2. Gallery Talk "Slowly Changing - From the XSchool Little Design Classroom"
Date: April 14th [Sunday] 15:00-17:00
Speakers: Yuma Harada, Tomomi Tada, Yuki Uchida, Morifumi Sakata (all Program Directors), Ryo Shirai (2020 Contribute Director), Kaname Takahashi (Nocate/2019 Mentor), Yusei Kuroda (Tonkan Terrace/2019, 20 Participants), Hiroyuki Tajima (Resilience Playground/2018, 20 Participants), and others
Participation Fee: Free
Capacity: 80 people

3. "Understanding from the Exhibition of Tirol-dou and Progettista, How to Start and Proceed with Projects"
Date: April 27th [Saturday] 14:00-16:00
Lecturers: Daisuke Sakamoto, Takashi Yoshida, Keiko Baba
Participation Fee: To be determined
Capacity: 80 people
※Please check the official website for event details and how to apply.

Schedule

Mar 22 (Fri) 2024-May 6 (Mon) 2024